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Report from NYC - I'm NOT in jail!

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On August 31, nearly 1000 people were nabbed by the NYPD during widespread direct actions around New York City. (A number of medics over the past few days have been singled out and arrested).

The mainstream coverage describes these protests and arrests as "confrontational" and "scuffles," etc, but protesters held their composure and kept to their well-organized plans, despite aggressive police tactics that included orange plastic fencing to keep protesters penned in, and "snatch squads" that targetted individuals standing in the middle of otherwise peaceful crowds.

Actions I witnessed included a "shut up-a-thon" in front of fox news headquarters (there were over a thousand chanting "shut the fox up"), a road blockade by comrades from the bay area, a die-in by members of the war-resisters league, a street party near union square, and lots of arrests. It felt like spontaneous eruptions all over the city, the grassroots pushing up through the concrete at every park and major intersection, strategically non-violent and with powerful messages against the war in iraq, the corporate agenda of the bush administration, and the lies propogated by the corporate media.

Hi folks-
Another brief update from New York, mostly to let you know that I didn't get arrested on Tuesday with the nearly 1000 people nabbed by the NYPD during widespread direct actions around the city. (A number of medics over the past few days have been singled out and arrested, so I ran unmarked for most of the day, and watched my back).

The mainstream coverage describes these protests and arrests as "confrontational" and "scuffles," etc, but protesters held their composure and kept to their well-organized plans, despite aggressive police tactics that included orange plastic fencing to keep protesters penned in, and "snatch squads" that targetted individuals standing in the middle of otherwise peaceful crowds. I also witnessed a couple of people pepper sprayed after being arrested, but who kept chanting "we don't want your oil war" while squeezing their eyes shut with pain.

Actions I witnessed included a "shut up-a-thon" in front of fox news headquarters (there were over a thousand chanting "shut the fox up") -- even fox news covered this protest! Then a road blockade by comrades from the bay area just south of herald square, where thousands upon thousands of shoppers, republican delegates, and of course bush opponents had amassed on the sidewalks. The noise was so tremendous that MSNBC had to stop broadcasting from their stage inside herald square. A die-in by members of the war-resisters league near madison square garden who had marched up all the way from ground zero. A street party near union square. And lots of arrests there and elsewhere. It felt like spontaneous eruptions all over the city, the grassroots pushing up through the concrete at every park and major intersection, strategically non-violent and with powerful messages against the war in iraq, the corporate agenda of the bush administration (medea benjamin of code pink got inside the convention and 20 feet away from dick cheney started chanting "how much money did you make off the war?"), and the lies propogated by the corporate media (fox.).

So, I'm heading out to provide medical and emotional support to folks in and now getting out of jail. More reports later.